Les Mis 365 - Grantaireâs introduction - Orestes and Pylades
âOne might almost say that affinities begin with the letters of the alphabet. In the series O and P are inseparable. You can, at will, pronounce O and P or Orestes and Pylades. ⌠Grantaire was an unaccepted Pylades.â
Alright, Iâve been putting this post off because Iâm intimidated by it - it feels like thereâs a lot to cover that I donât want to get wrong, and also if any ancient reference in this chapter is central to the characters, itâs this one. This reference is the alpha and the omega for Enjolras and Grantaire - we begin with it, and we end with it. But Iâm determined to sit down and finish and finally post it tonight! (Aha, Iâm so behind.)
Orestes and Pylades are another famous pair of friends from ancient literature. A little backstory - skip the next three paragraphs if you arenât interested: Clytemnestra, sister of Helen, Castor, and Pollux, was married to Agamemnon, brother of Menelaus, who was married to Helen. When Paris ran away with Helen, kicking off the Trojan War, Agamemnon became leader of the Greek forces to get his brotherâs wife back. But when the Greek fleet was assembled and ready to sail to Troy, there was one big problem: there was absolutely no wind. Agamemnon consulted the oracles and was told that in order to get the winds to blow the fleet to Troy, he would have to sacrifice his eldest daughter, Iphigenia. Agamemnon summoned Iphigenia, telling her and Clytemnesta that she was to be married to the hero Achilles. Then, when she showed up dressed in her finest clothing, he had her placed on the altar to be murdered. WHAT A GREAT DAD. In the tradition that matters for todayâs post, however, Iphigenia was saved at the very last moment by the goddess Artemis and transported far away from her terrible family. (In other traditions she really is killed by her father.)
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